Spiritual Thanksgiving

Orthodox Jews Meet In Jerusalem.

November 19, 2004|By James D. Davis Religion Editor

Stanley Weinstein looks forward to a special, spiritual Thanksgiving next week. He'll be spending it with 1,000 other Orthodox Jews at their first-ever convention in Jerusalem -- a show of strength for traditional Judaism as well as support for the Jewish state.

"We have a lot to be thankful for, as Americans and as Jews," says Weinstein, a Miami Beach resident and a chairman of the upcoming biennial convention of the Orthodox Union next week. "We have a free America, and a free Israel. We want to show our commitment as Orthodox Jews."

The Jerusalem convention, Wednesday to Sunday, will bring more than 800 Jews from North America, representing 125 synagogues from 25 states and Canada. They'll be joining some 200 who have made aliyah, or moved to Israel.

Meeting them will be a host of leaders, from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to the nation's chief rabbis to the U.S. ambassador to religious scholars, journalists and political leaders -- a kind of thanksgiving to the Orthodox for convening in Israel when many tourists have stayed away.

The OU, which met in New York City in 2002, decided to hold its conference in Israel as a sign of "solidarity," Weinstein says. Also this year, several new officers will be voted in.

"It was a good time to show our commitment," adds Weinstein, who himself will be inaugurated as a senior vice president next week.

The Orthodox represent a rigorous, traditional strain of Judaism, stressing faithfulness to the Torah, Sabbath observance and dietary laws. They number about 530,000 of America's 5.2 million Jews and 21 percent of its synagogue members, according to the 2000-2001 National Jewish Population Survey. They are widely acknowledged to be growing in numbers, and confidence.

Weinstein, a real estate agent, is one of three co-chairmen for the event; the others are Benzion Krupka of New York City and Yitzchak Fund of Jerusalem. Together, the three have visited Orthodox synagogues and other groups in months of pep-talking, mustering participation.

Sharon will open the convention along with Daniel Kurtzer, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, and both chief rabbis, Ashkenazic and Sephardic. During the week, the conferees also will hear from Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister and current finance minister, and Knesset members and party leaders.

Thursday night will include a Thanksgiving dinner with the theme of "Counting our Blessings." Two days later, a different thanksgiving will be offered at the Western Wall: gratitude for survivors of terrorist attacks.

The OU will conduct pre-convention tours to Hebron, Masada, the Dead Sea and excavations at the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount. There also will be visits to the tomb of Rachel, in Bethlehem, and Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

Early arrivals also will hear a series of talks on Israeli security issues and social trends. Big names will include talmudic scholar Adin Steinsaltz and Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

When the convention plans were started nine months ago, many observers predicted a tiny turnout because of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian violence, says Weinstein, a member of Young Israel of Miami Beach. "They thought we'd get maybe 250 people, because everyone was afraid to go to Israel."

He and other OU officers countered with a round of speeches at affiliated synagogues. "Finally, people understood the importance of getting together in the land of Israel," Weinstein says. Result: A sold-out convention.

After the convention ends, delegates will be expected to take their information and enthusiasm home.

"We'll want them to tell their constituencies what's happening in Israel, and help them become better Jews," Weinstein says. "We pray every day to fix the world for a heavenly place."

James D. Davis can be reached at jdavis@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4730.